بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Table of contents:
2. Deceit
3. Boasting
4. Practical steps to overcome these
5. Conclusion
This statement is found in Al-Kafi's collection of Hadith. This reflects one of the biggest human nature that we all face directly or indirectly. Let's take a deep dive into these matters.
1. Jealousy
Most of us have a wrong perspective about jealousy. That it involves a desire to get what others have... It's wrong. What we think is actually a natural desire which motivates us to achieve stuff, but can become negative when we aspire for stuff we can't achieve.
A more refined definition, could be for jealousy be:" resentment towards one having something we don't... With a wish of harming an individual or its possession."
Keeping this in mind, let's see what Islam and science says.
In Islam
Prophet ﷺ said,
Beware of jealousy. Verily, it destroys good deeds the way fire destroys the woods.
Sunan Abu Dawood, 4903
Just imagine doing good, but due to your own actions/ intentions, it gets wasted to ashes.
This is something pretty common, especially in our families, where we see people having their tasbeeh and doing their zikr simultaneously getting jealous of others who pass by or any relative that has achieved success. Some even take it to extreme, especially in northern part of my country, where they do some sort of satanic rituals to curse a specific person. Allah knows best how these things work or if they really work or not.
The point is that all these things represent dissatisfaction with Allah's decree. The ultimate outcome is spiritual weakness and loss of tawakkul (reliance on Allah).
Scientific analysis.
Jealousy activates the anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala of the brain. They are responsible for processing social pain and fear.
Jealousy triggers the release of stress hormone cortisol leading to long-term health issues, such as
- high blood pressure,
- sleep disorders,
- and most importantly, weakened immunity.
- Even risks of depression, anxiety, and obsessive thoughts are seen in a majority of cases.
2. Deceit
In simple terms, this means to intentionally lie or mislead someone for personal gain. And obviously, it's prohibited in Islam. Yet, Muslims around us do it pretty casually, without any trace of shame.
In Islam
there is a pretty famous narration found in Sahih Muslim.
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه that once Messenger of Allah ﷺ happened to pass by a heap of eatables, corn. He thrust his hand into that heap, and his fingers were moistened. He said to the owner of that heap of eatables, What is this? He replied, Messenger of Allah ﷺ . These have been drenched by rainfall. He ﷺ remarked, Why did you not place this drenched part of the heap over other eatables, so that people could see it? He who deceived is not of me(not among my followers)
. Sahih Muslim 102
In summary, this man was keeping the wet part down, the heap, while keeping the top filled with fresh corn, in order to deceive the customer. The Prophet ﷺ on coming to know about this deceit, clearly stated that such people are not among my followers.
Scientific Overview
- Cognitive Deceit
- Increased mental stress.
- Lying activates the prefrontal cortex, requiring extra effort to fabricate and maintain a false narration.
All this can compound up to have even deadly effects in long run, such as
- anxiety
- decreased self-esteem
- guilt, over dishonesty
- emotional burnout
- loss of trust from people.
3. Boasting
Boasting involves excessive show-off of one's achievement and self by his own self, again one of the most deep-rooted problems with our society from spending extravagantly on luxuries and functions to the words-of-mouth self-publicity.
But in Islam, Allah says in the Qur'an,
Don't walk on the earth arrogantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth apart, and you will never reach the mountains and hide.
Surah Isra 17: 37
The command of Allah is more than enough for a believer to start or stop an action. Now briefly look at what are the consequences if we don't.
- Social Comparison leading others feelings inferior.
- This gives us a pseudo-superior feeling when we boast ourselves, leading our mind to get satisfaction and reduces its efficiency to work.
- fragile self-esteem
- dependence on others' validation
- anxiety and depression
- social rejection due to arrogance.
4. Practical steps
- One of the most simple and easy way to overcome jealousy is to pray for the one to whom you resent. Even we are commanded to do so. As the hadith says,
The Prophet ﷺ said,
" If you saw something in your brother that amazes you, pray for blessing for him."
Surah Ibn Majah 3509
We are advised to say words like, MashaAllah and Allahumma Barik The literal meaning of which is:
Allahumma Barik = O God, bless it/ him / her
MashaAllah = What God has willed
(It expresses something exists as or happened by the grace of Almighty.)
- For boasting, you need to humble yourself by visiting graveyard and reflecting on the fate of the people of the grave. Remember, you will be a part of it soon.
- Deceit can be overcome by acquiring knowledge and putting it into practice. The best to start with is the story of Shuaib عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ and his tribe.
5. Conclusion
Jealousy, deceit, and boasting are deeply ingrained weaknesses that harm both our spiritual and mental well-being. Islam provides clear guidance to overcome these traits—by being content with Allah’s decree, embracing honesty, and practicing humility. Engaging in heartfelt Zikr, praying for others, and reflecting on our temporary existence can shield us from these destructive behaviors. True success lies in purifying the heart and aligning our actions with the teachings of Islam.
اللهم مُصَرِّفَ الْقُلُوْبِ صَرِّفْ قُلُوْبَنَا عَلَى طَاعتِكَ
O Allah! Controller of the hearts, direct our hearts to Your obedience
Ameen.
Comment down any question or dought you have regarding islam and its doctrines. Future blogs will inshallah include the solution to them ☺️
Fiqh & hadith related do
ughts will be explained by ulema of the specific fields inshallah
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